The heads of the Israel Defense Forces, the Mossad and the Shin Bet told Netanyahu that they believed Hamas was unlikely to back down from its conditions for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and an end to the war, the publication said. They told him that if the Israeli government was interested in a deal, it should soften its current position, but Netanyahu refused to end the war in exchange for a deal to release the hostages, it added.
Netanyahu reportedly justified his position by the fact that such a deal with Hamas would allow the movement to continue its existence.
On October 7, 2023, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. After that, Hamas militants penetrated the border areas, opened fire on the military and civilians, and took more than 200 hostages. According to the authorities, about 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords, which included strikes on civilian targets, and announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip: supplies of water, electricity, fuel, food, and medicine were stopped. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 43,500 Palestinians have died since the beginning of the conflict, and over 102,000 have been injured.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the parties to cease hostilities. According to Moscow's position, a settlement is only possible on the basis of the formula approved by the UN Security Council with the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem.